Loose-leaf binder



Feb. 28, 1950 s. SEGAL 2,498,902

' LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Dec. 19, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1950LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Samuel Segal, New York, N. Y'., assignor to Wil-vson-Jones 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationDecember 19, 1945, Serial No. 635,967

3 Claims.

otally interlocked therewith. Thus in certain instances the casing atleast in part sustains the pivoted. triggers. In other instances thetriggers while pivotally associated with the pivoted leaves requirecertain cooperation with the spring casing to carry throughv a completeoperating cycle, namely, automatic opening of the half ring sections ifclosed and automatic closing of the half ring sections if opened. Incertainv other aspects the triggers although interlocked. with theleaves and the spring casing involuntarily and undesirably separate fromthe binder. By the present invention and the dominant object thereofresides in the provision of an improved loose leaf binder wherein thetriggers while pivotally associated with the pivoted leaves in. thespring cas- I ing are independent of any fulcrum cooperation by thelatter for their effective operation. The invention has as a furtherobject to provide. an easily operating yet eifective trigger pivetallyinterlocked solely with the spaced pi voted leaves of the binder andhaving means to actuate or rock the leaves. through a complete and fullcycle of operation, namely, for opening the half rings if closed, andsubsequently closing the half rings if open, however carrying throughsuch complete cycle of operation independent of any fulcrum cooperationby spring casing. Another salient object resides in the provision of a.loose leaf binder wherein the triggers thereof. although. pivotallyassociated with companion-and uXtaposi-' tioned' rockable leaves,nevertheless are prevented from involuntarily disconnecting. therefrom.Other important objects, advantages, and functional and structuralfeatures of the invention will appear from the following detailed.specification considered in the light of the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the loose leaf binder showing theclosure member partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary and enlarged plan View of Fig. 1, howeverillustrating the closure member removed.

Fig. 3' is an end elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1illustrating the companion rockable leaves converging downwardly and thehalf ring sections carried by the leaves closed or interlocked.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the half ring sectionsopened and the companion or j-uxtapositi'oned' leaves convergingupwardly.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 6-4; of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l--'! of Fig. 2'.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 8-43 of Fig. 2showing the trigger in a normal position.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, however illustrating the triggeractuated or tilted. for setting the j-uxtapositioned and rockable leavesor half ring section carriers to diverge or open the half ring sections.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view on the line l.l]l0 of Fi 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the trigger.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective View of one end of the companionand juxtapositioned rockable leaves.

. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective View of the spring casing.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view on the line i l-M of Fig. 2.

Fig. 15 is an inverted, perspective and fragmentary view of one of thetriggers, and

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary view of one of the rockable leaves.

In accordance. with the invention, the loose leaf binder generallydenoted L is characterized by the concave-convex spring casing ill whichis preferably of relatively thin sheet metal sustaining the companionand juxtapositioned rockable or pivoted leaves II and 2 to which areappropriately secured the complementary but opposing half ring sectionsis and. M. The leaves which are of relatively thin and preferably offlat sheet metal may be considered as carrier means for the half ringsections. faces [5 of the leaves II and I2 are disposed in thelongitudinal channels [6 defined by the arcll ate bottom wall of thecasing and the upwardly but inwardly extending retaining lip-s ll. Whilethe lips I1 retain the leaves H and M in the casing, the outside faces[5 of the leaves it and '2' are pivoted against the walls of thechannels it which walls serve as fulcrum or hearing, means.

The outside longitudinal However, the inside longitudinal faces or sidesI7 of the leaves II and I2 are contiguously disposed, that is, in sideby side relation.

To facilitate proper operative alignment of the juxtapositioned leaves II and I2 in the casing, positioning pins or spool shaped members I8 areutilized and these have their reduced portions or shanks I9 disposed inaligned notches 20 of the leaves II and I2 and the annular flanges 2I ofthe pins I8 straddle the companion leaves. By this arrangement, theleaves II and I2 although interlocked with the positioning pins I8 serveto maintain the inner longitudinal faces I! of the leaves I I and I2 indesired cooperative relation to permit these leaves to tiltably operatein unison as required.

For actuating the rockable or pivoted leaves I I and I2 in the matter ofautomatically opening or closing the complementary and mating half ringsections I3 and I4 simultaneously, a trigger broadly designated T ispivotally carried at the corresponding ends of the tiltable leaves IIand I2. Specifically each trigger is desirably interlocked withcorresponding ends of the rockable leaves and each comprises a crankshaped member or lever having a lower transversely curved arm or basebroadly denoted 22 integrally merged with the upstanding orsubstantially vertical arm 23 provided with a finger receiving opening24.

Extending upwardl or bent from the lower arm 22 and spaced from themanipulating vertical arm 23 of each trigger are the transverselydisposed but spaced primary lugs 24 each having a laterally extending oroverhanging lip or shoulder 25 spaced from arm 22 and defining therewiththe spaced gaps 26 for receiving the terminal ears generally denoted 2'Iof the leaves II and I2 to permit these ears to be seated against theends of the base 22 or shoulders 28 when the trigger is assembled withthe leaves. In such assembled relation the spaced primary lugs 24 areloosely arranged although movably guided in the spaced gaps 29 definedby the lobes 38 of the ears 2'! and the end faces 3I of the leaves, thusinterlocking with the leaves I I and I2 since webs 32 of the ears 2! aredisposed in the gaps 26 and are interlocked between the overhanging lips25 and the shoulders 28.

For actuating the leaves I and II for either separating or closing ofthe half ring sections, each trigger also embodies a secondary andupstanding substantially T-shaped lug 33 which is integral with anextension 34 projecting from the lower arm 22 and which has theoverhanging lips 35 defining with extension 33, spaced gaps 3G forreceiving and loosely interlocking with the spaced portions 37 of theleaves adjacent the aligned notches 33 thereof. The reduced shank 39 ofthe T-shaped lug 33 is movably disposed although interlocked with thewalls of the aligned slots 38, the arrangement being such that shouldersor lips 35 and shoulders 34 of the extension 34 straddle portions 31 ofthe leaves while shank 39 of the T-shaped lug 33 is tiltably disposed inthe aligned slots 38.

To preclude crawling of the leaves II and I2 relative to the casing andlongitudinally thereof projections 43 are squeezed out of the outermarginal portions of the leaves and these projections are rotatably orpivotally confined between the spaced Walls of the openings Or notches4| interrupting the lips I1 which are straddled by the arcuate closure42 and more particularly by the depending and arcuate lips 43 closelyand resiliently embracing the lips ll of the casing. The

arcuate closure 42 includes aligned notches 44 for convenientlyreceiving the half ring sections. Normally the manipulator arms 23 ofthe triggers are substantially vertical when the half ring sections I3and I4 carried by the leaves H and I2 are closed. In the closed relationof the half ring sections, leaves Ii and I2 converge downwardly (Fig. 4)To open the half ring sections an outwardly directed thrust is appliedto either both or one of the triggers T and more particularly to theupstanding arms 23 thereof. By such action the arms 23 move outwardly,shoulders 34' of the lug 34 are tilted to abut the spaced portions Bl ofthe leaves II and I2, the spaced and overhanging lips or shoulders 35 ofthe T-shaped or secondary lug 33 move away from the spaced portion 3'!of the leaves, but the overhanging lips or shoulders 25 of the primarylugs 24 are tilted against the spaced webs or bearings 32 of theterminal 01 bent hooks 21. Webs 32 therefore constitute fulcrum meansfor spaced lips 25 for the trigger when the latter is actuated or tiltedto open the half rings. But such opening is effected by reason of thespaced shoulders 34 abutting against the leaves II and I2, thus tiltablyraising the adjacent inner margins thereof and consequently pivotingtheir outer margins against the inner surfaces of the casing I0 andspecifically against the wall of the channels I6. Thus leaves II and I2have been shifted to assume their tilted position indicated in Fig. 5and therefore the half ring sections are Widely separated and the springtension by the casing ID on the pivoted leaves hold the latter againstaccidental displacement when the half ring sections are fully opened orclosed.

If the half ring sections are open the triggers T are now in a tiltedposition relative to leaves II and I2 (Fig. 9) and upon the applicationof an inwardly directed thrust or arms 23 or on one of them, lips 35 ofthe secondary lug 33 about the upper surfaces of the leaves II and I2while the shoulders 28 of the arcuate base 22 tiltably or pivotally bearagainst the lower surfaces of the webs 32 which serve as fulcrum means.Consequently spaced lips 35 retract the inner margins of the leaves IIand I2, that is, drive or shift the latter to pivot downwardly towardstheir normal position (Figs. 4 and 6) for returning the half ringsections to their closed position.

By the arrangement herein disclosed, the pivoted triggers T aresustained solely by the juxtapositioned and pivoted leaves I! and I2 andconsequently require no independent fulcrum or bearing means of thecasing in the matter of effectively carrying through a complete cycle ofoperation, namely, to efiect opening of the half rings when they areclosed and to effect closing of the half rings when they are open. Ineither case and at all times the arms 23 characterize positive closuremeans for the ends of the casing Ill. It follows that in the matter ofeffecting a complete operating cycle rectilinear faces of the spacedlips 25 and the spaced shoulders 28 alternately pivoted against theleaves II and I2 while spaced lips 35 and the spaced shoulders 34'alternately actuate leaves or carriers means II and I2.

The webs 32 may be said to be along the outer margins of the leaveswhile spaced portions 31 adjacent the openings 38 may be said to bealong the inner longitudinal margins of the leaves H and I2 which aspreviously stated are alternately driven by the spaced lower shoulders34' of the extension 34 and by the upper shoulders or lips 35 of theT-shaped lug 33. While the corner portions or shoulders 28 of the baseand the lips 25 of the spaced lugs 24 may bear alternately against theouter margins of the leaves I I and i2 when the trigger is tilted, thelugs 24 and the T-shaped lug 33 are loosely disposed in the openings ornotches 29 and openings 38 to permit their tilting. However these lugsnamely, 24 and 33 are substantially parallel and approximately normal tothe base or arm 22 and in fact are also interlocked by the spacedportions of the leaves such as by lobes 21 and the ends 21 of the leavesand by the latter and portions 38 adjacent the openings 38. Hence theleaves may be said to straddle or interlock with th primary andsecondary lugs 24 and 39, thus precluding their accidental removallongitudinally of the leaves.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangementof parts without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of the advantages inherent therein.

I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder wherein tiltable and juxtapositioned leavesare pivotally interposed and retained between spaced and longitudinallydisposed sides of an arcuate spring casing and wherein said leaves carrycomplementary half ring sections, means to prevent displacement of saidleaves relative to each other and to said casing, said leaves havingends provided with terminal ears each having a lobe and a web portion,said leaves including aligned openings adjacent said ends, a triggersustained solely by said leaves and including a base having spacedprimary lugs movably interposed between said ends and lobes and definingwith said base vertically spaced shoulders movably straddling andinterlocking with said webs and having an extension including asecondary lug movably disposed and guided in said aligned openings anddefining with said extension vertically spaced actuating portionsmovably straddling but interlocking with inner marginal portions of saidleaves adjacent said openings, and said trigger having an arm projectingabove said casing, said arm being spaced longitudinally from saidprimary lugs and adapted to be manually urged away from or towards saidcasin whereby said spaced shoulders alternately pivot against said websand whereby said spaced actuating portions alternately abut said innermarginal portion for pivotally displacing said leaves relative to saidcasing for opening or closing said complementary half ring sections.

2. In a loose leaf binder wherein tiltable and juxtapositioned leavesare pivotally interposed and retained between spaced and longitudinallydisposed sides of an arcuate spring casing and wherein said leaves carrycomplementary half ring sections, means to prevent displacement of saidleaves relative to each other and to said casing, said leaves havingends provided with terminal ears each having a lobe and a web portion,said leaves including aligned openings adjacent said ends, a triggerhaving a base, spaced primary lugs integral with said base and movablyinterposed between said ends and lobes and characterizing with said basespaced shoulders movably straddling but interlocking with said webs, anextension integral with said base, a secondary lug projecting from saidextension and movably disposed and guided in said aligned openings, lipmeans projecting from said secondary lug and delining with saidextension spaced actuating portions movably straddling but interlockingwith inner marginal portions of said leaves adjacent said openings, andan arm integral with said base and projecting above said casing, saidarm being spaced longitudinally from said primary lugs and adapted to bemanually urged away from or towards said casing whereby said spacedshoulders alternately pivot against said webs and whereby said spacedactuating portions alternately abut said inner marginal portions forpivotally displacing said leaves relative to said casing for opening orclosing said complementary half ring sections.

3. In a loose leaf binder wherein tiltable and juxtapositioned leavesare pivotally interposed and retained between spaced and longitudinallydisposed sides of an arcuate spring casing and whereinsaid leaves carrycomplementary half ring sections, a tiltable trigger disposed at one endof said casing for tiltably and simultaneously displacing said leavesrelative to said casing comprising a base disposed underneath saidleaves, spaced primary lugs carried by said base and having overhanginglips defining with said base spaced gaps for movably receiving outermarginal portions of said leaves, an extension projecting from saidbase, a secondary lug projecting from said extension and having spacedoverhanging shoulders spaced from said extension and defining therewithspaced gaps for movably receiving adjacent inner marginal portions ofsaid leaves, said trigger having an arm integral with said base andprojecting above said casing, said arm being spaced longitudinally fromsaid primary lugs and adapted to be manually urged outwardly wherebysaid lips are tilted against said outer marginal portions and saidextension abuts said inner marginal portions for tiltably displacingsaid leaves for separating said complementary half ring sections, andsaid leaves having spaced portions straddling said lugs for interlockingtherewith and for movably guiding the latter relative to said leaves.

SAMUEL SEGAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ,124 Dawson June 15, 19261,927,113 Dawson Sept. 19, 1933 2,056,812 Unger Oct. 6, 1936

